


Stormy Nights and Wet Dogs

by sweetnuisance



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Minor Belle/Red Riding Hood | Ruby, Multi, OT3, Red is basically a big puppy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-16 05:38:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14157963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetnuisance/pseuds/sweetnuisance
Summary: Mary Margaret gets a late night visitor





	Stormy Nights and Wet Dogs

Snow is sat on the small couch in Mary Margaret’s… no, her apartment. It had taken some getting used to once she and Emma had found their way back; but times like these, with her feet tucked up underneath her and hands wrapped around a warm mug of hot chocolate, tattered paperback discarded on the small coffee table beside her, make her feel she’s home again. 

The storm blowing outside is building; the insistent rapping of raindrops against the windows growing louder along with the sweeping thuds of leafs and debris being tossed against the roof. But inside is warm and filled with a soft glow of the few lamps Snow had turned on just as the daylight began to dim a few hours ago. If she closed her eyes now she could almost hear the sound of the storm shift to rain beating against stone castle walls, imagine the apartment’s heat was rolling off a fire roaring in an open hearth in front of her. 

The peaceful daydream is broken by a sudden booming knock at the door. As Snow stands and moves to answer, whoever is thumping against the other side continues the loud drumbeat of knuckles against wood, building in intensity until she opens it to find Red on her doorstep. The other woman’s long dark hair is matted by rain and wind and as she lowers her clenched fist rivulets of water snake down her bare arm, the familiar layered tank tops and skin-hugging jeans are soaked through. 

Pulling the other woman in to the apartment Snow turns from closing the door to a wide-eyed Red refusing to meet her gaze; as her eyes flit around the apartment words tumble from her lips at such speed they run into each other and make no sense. Snow just about makes out a phrase here and there- ‘I didn’t know what to do.’ ‘I got scared.’ ‘I’m sorry.’ ‘I just had to run.’ 

Red finally falls silent, taking a deep shuddering breath before looking directly at her friend; even through the shimmering haze of her own tears she can see the worry in Snow’s green eyes. 

“I’m sorry,” she says again, her voice clear but raw. Then without warning she is suddenly moving forward and trying to step around the other woman to leave. Snow catches her by both arms and the skin against her fingertips is bitterly cold; the frigid water dripping off Red has formed little puddles across the floor where she’s stood. Snow grips her friend’s forearms tightly despite their chill and waits for Red to look at her again. 

“Did someone hurt you?”

Snow’s heart has been pounding with the fear of this question since the moment she took in the sight of the dishevelled and distraught Red on her doorstep. But Red looks stunned by it, confused as to how Snow could even think such a thing. 

“She said she loves me,” the taller woman finally confesses, barely above a whisper. 

The fear and confusion in those far too big eyes causes Snow to smile sadly and shake her head, as she tells herself that laughing now would probably not be taken well. Instead she rubs her hands up and down her friend’s arms briskly, trying to chase away some of the cold. “Oh, Red.” 

Red hangs her head, embarrassed to look at Snow as she tries to explain, tears again starting to fall, “I just started running. And I didn’t know where to go.”

“Of course you did.” Being shorter Snow needs only to tilt her head slightly to be sure Red can see her reassuring smile. “You came home.”

There’s a ghost of a smile in return, but as Red relaxes somewhat Snow can feel the tremors coursing through her. “We need to get you out of these wet clothes, come on.” 

She leads Red across the open plan space to the bathroom, a little stream of rain water trailing behind them, the patter of the drops lost to the sound of Red’s heavy booted footsteps. Once there Red stumbles with her attempt to remove her boots, numb fingers not seeming to cooperate with knotted laces and she allows Snow to undo them for her. 

Once the boots and socks have been kicked off and come to a rest under the sink Red stands still and silent as Snow works buttons and zippers to strip her of rest of the clinging wet clothes, only lifting her feet and raising her arms as required. The sound of Red sniffing back tears echoes off the bathroom tiles but Snow doesn’t push the other woman to explain any more than she already has. In the quiet they both hear the rattle of a key moving in the lock of the front door and the hinges singing as it swings open. 

“Snow?”

“In here,” Snow calls out to her husband and moments later James’ head peeks around the bathroom door just as Snow is slipping off Red’s remaining clothes, the lace underwear falling to the tiled floor at her feet. 

That all too confident smirk tugs at one corner of his mouth. “Well now I’m glad Emma and Henry moved in with Regina,” he says with a chuckle, taking in the expanse of Red’s bare back and down her seemingly never ending legs, his wife’s hands resting on the other woman’s hips as she stands face to face with Red. He doesn’t see Snow clearly until she leans out from just below Red’s shoulder but when he does James is glad to be himself fully again, as David would completely miss the ‘not tonight’ look that Charming can read so easily. 

The change in his face tells Snow immediately that it is now her brave and gallant prince standing in the doorway before he even speaks again; the playfulness having left his voice to be replaced by steel, “what happened?”

Snow sweeps a towel over Red’s shoulders as she replies, “Red just took a run in the woods and got caught by the storm. Think you can grab one of your shirts for her while we dry off?”

“Sure.”

He’s a little hesitant to move to his task though until Snow gives him a smile that lets him know Red is in safe hands and there is no immediate need for him to be chasing anyone down with a sword in hand. By the time he’s grabbed a checked soft linen shirt from the top of the clean laundry pile Snow is guiding Red out of the bathroom. Like a choreographed dance between them the couple easily replace the damp towel with the still dryer-warm shirt. 

As the two women move to the couch Red slips her arms in to the sleeves, wrapping the edges of the shirt in close over her chest and stomach before she curls herself into Snow. James grabs the blanket slung over the back of the easy chair and lays it across Red’s bare legs as both women sit. 

“What can I do?” 

Snow’s fingers are already brushing through long damp hair as she holds their friend close, Red nuzzling in to her neck and shoulder. Both Snow and Charming have always found Red’s more wolf-like characteristics endearing, from the puppy-dog gestures of affection through to her ravenous wild side when aroused. 

“Would you call Belle?” At the mere mention of her lover’s name Red’s breathing becomes more ragged against Snow’s collarbone. “Let her know she’s not to worry, that Ruby will be staying with us tonight. I’ll make sure she calls tomorrow.”

He gave Snow a nod at her words; Red gave a whimper that was quickly quieted by Snow’s gentle hushing. While James steps out into the hallway to make the call on his cell his muffled voice can still be heard in the apartment, carrying a calm reassurance in its gentle rhythm and with it Red’s anxious breaths start to even out and grow deeper. By the time he lets himself back in Red is asleep, head resting on Snow’s shoulder. 

“We should get her to bed,” James says, dropping the cell and keys on the kitchen table as he passes it on his way back to the small lounge area. “You two take downstairs; I’ll have Emma’s old bed tonight.”

“Charming, we have never kicked you out of our bed before,” Snow practically scolds him at the suggestion he not spend the night beside them. 

“Well the beds back home were a little bigger. Much easier to fit three.”

Snow smiles, shaking her head at her husband’s slightly goofy grin before he kneels down in front of the couch, reaching out a hand and resting it on Red’s knee, face serious once again. Snow lays her hand, the one not still tangled up in Red’s hair, to cover his; a light stroke across his knuckles and then she is squeezing his fingers tightly in her own. 

He drops his voice now he’s right over the sleeping woman, “and besides, you’re not kicking me out now either. She just needs you more tonight.”

James leans across Red’s folded legs to kiss his wife. The hand gripping his fingers releases and then Snow is pressing it to his cheek. When they pull apart she keeps it there, feeling the roughness of evening stubble, her thumb brushing the scar on his chin. He sees worry in her eyes for the first time tonight and before he can ask she says, “I don’t want to wake her.”

“Not a problem.” He stands back up and gives a confident grin. “I think I still remember how to do this.”

And then it’s all Prince Charming- no humble shepherd, no hesitant David- who sweeps Red up into his arms, carrying her across the apartment to their bed. Snow gets ahead of him and pulls back the bed covers before James lays Red down. Once he’s lowered her head gently onto the pillows he touches his lips briefly but tenderly to hers as Snow tugs the blanket back up and then climbs in beside her. 

James steps away from the bed, he’s reaching for the switch on the bedside lamp when he hears, “David?” and turns to see wide hazel eyes shining up at him. 

“I’ll be right upstairs if you need me. And Snow’s here with you.”

That Red doesn’t put up much of a fight to his response makes his heart ache, but as she rolls over and easily wraps herself around the woman lying next to her he finds the pain easing. She’s asleep again in moments, her breaths fluttering Snow’s short hair. 

Before he can leave Snow calls out softly to him, “how was Belle?”

“Worried. A little angry.” He sighs. “Relieved to hear she’s okay.” 

Satisfied with his answer Snow closes her eyes too, turning to press a kiss to Red’s forehead before dropping back down to the pillow. As he clicks off the lamp James hears her whisper, “she will be.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is a very old story but I thought as I was posting some new stuff I may as well put this one out there too. Maybe someday I'll get to writing the next part with Belle, though I haven't watched Once in years.


End file.
